LIVE FROM HUAWEI GLOBAL MOBILE BROADBAND FORUM 2014, SHANGHAI: Eric Xu, rotating CEO at Huawei, called for the mobile industry to work with partners outside of the traditional ecosystem in an effort to drive uptake of the Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G markets.

Reflecting on how the move from a voice-dominated world to a superfast mobile broadband, data-centric world has changed customer expectations, Xu stated that “the experience of broadband usage is the key to create and increase our revenue. In other words, the network usage experience is a primary factor for our productivity.” Xu claimed that providing a superior user experience will be critical to the future success of telecom operators.

But the Huawei chief is adamant that operators cannot do this alone. One area that can’t be controlled by telco operators is the burgeoning IoT space, according to Xu. “The telco industry must work together with different verticals to drive development. For machines to be connected companies have to build connectivity into the devices, which can’t be supported by telecom companies.”

And development of 5G – still at the innovation stage, lamented Xu – is also dependent on a wide variety of stakeholders, too. “I believe it’s time to work together to define 5G, and in particular, to work with industry verticals to drive development of the 5G ecosystem,” urged Xu.

“At the same time, we hope that 5G can really fulfill high frequency network, high speed, and massive connections with a time latency of 1 ms. This is the core requirement for a real breakthrough.”